THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 3, 1996 TAG: 9605030508
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
School board candidate Sonja M. Watts has tried to broaden her appeal to voters by saying that she would not deal exclusively with the district's budget problems.
The 41-year-old mother of three said the issues that matter most are finding alternative education programs for students at risk of dropping out.
But as a school board member, Watts would help decide how the city should spend an education budget of at least $385 million. In the past two years, Watts has shown questionable skill in managing her own finances, a problem for someone who seeks a job that demands fiscal accountability.
Last spring, a home Watts owned on Elderwood Court in Kempsville Lakes was foreclosed for lack of payment, according to court records reviewed by The Virginian-Pilot as part of a background check on all school board candidates.
Watts said the problems with her house were not her fault and considers the matter not relevant to her campaign.
``I am not going to entertain this as an issue that reflects on my ability as a school board member,'' Watts said. ``This is a personal misfortune that was out of my control and I'm still trying to resolve it. It's important that the public know that this is not dishonesty.''
In 1992, Watts assumed an $89,000 mortgage on the Elderwood home. In 1994, she moved to San Bernadino, Calif., to take a day-care job with a local church. The deal, she said, involved free housing and a stipend of $1,500 a month.
As presented, it was a good deal, she said. She put her home up for rent for $794 a month, an amount that equaled the mortgage, she said. She hired Century 21 East Coast Properties as the managing agent. The company agreed to collect the rent and send the proceeds, minus a managing fee, to Watts, who would retain responsibility for paying the mortgage.
When she arrived in California, Watts learned that the terms of her employment agreement had changed. She would not be earning $1,500 a month. Instead, the amount would be $600.
Watts decided to take the job anyway.
``I did the best I could, trying to oversee the property from the West Coast, but the assignment I took was like a cut in pay,'' she said.
While in California, Watts claimed her Beach tenants violated the terms of their lease by inviting additional people to live in the three-bedroom home. She also claimed the tenants damaged the house and then stopped paying rent, leaving her no options but to come up with the money herself. Watts learned that holes had been knocked in the walls, doors were damaged, a refrigerator was stolen, the carpeting was soiled and the hot water heater was damaged.
But those claims could not be confirmed.
Sherrie Wilson, a broker with Century 21, said she was not aware of additional tenants in the house - either from Watts or from neighbors - and found no damage.
Wilson said she first learned of payment problems from the tenants who had begun to receive notices from the mortgage company that payments were overdue. They were concerned about it, Wilson said.
Wilson remembered contacting Watts, who said that she was trying to solve the problem.
``The tenant didn't want to move,'' Wilson said. But ultimately the couple that lived there had to move, she added. In May 1995, the property was sold.
Watts said it is ``not fair'' to look at her business acumen in this way.
``There are many people who encounter problems that are beyond their control,'' she said. ``The public should not judge me on this one unfortunate situation that has nothing to do with the situation at hand.
``My credentials speak for themselves,'' she said. ``That's where people need to make their decisions. This has nothing to do with my expertise as an educator. I am one who makes wise decisions when it comes to the lives of others.''
Watts, who ran unsuccessfully for a school board seat in 1994, is a part-time teacher at Norfolk Preparatory High School, where at-risk students from Norfolk public schools get one last chance at a public education before expulsion.
She is seeking a four-year, at-large seat on the school board. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Watts
KEYWORDS: ELECTION VIRGINIA BEACH VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BOARD RACE
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